Heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart but because it is in the center of the abdomen people began calling it heartburn, also known as acid indigestion or acid reflux. More than 60 million adults in the US regularly experience heartburn! A study conducted back in the 90's found some interesting statistics such as people living in the South seem to have more frequent heartburn (fried chicken?). Or that women seemed to suffer more so than men, how about this one; homeowners suffer more than people who rent! What does any of this mean? I suppose we could guess at answers but that still doesn't make the problem go away!
We know that eating fatty foods can cause heartburn, smoking is a contributor, late night eating, and that curse of most Americans - large portion sizes and simply eating too much. Obesity can cause indigestion because of the strain on the internal organs related to the digestive system and stress can also create an environment in the stomach that produces too much acid leading to heartburn.
Some people suffer so badly that they think they are having a heart attack. The symptoms can of heartburn or acid reflux actually be so severe as to cause chest pains and closely mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. Even more frightening is when a person who is accustomed to having heartburn actually does have a heart attack and doesn't get help because he/she thinks it is acid indigestion. A person should always call 911 if the symptoms are severe and there is any doubt about what is happening. Better to be safe than sorry.
Delving deeper into the problem we see that the stomach is full of acid which is designed to begin the digestion process of the food we eat. When the stomach is working properly under ideal circumstances (a person eating properly, the correct weight, no stress, etc.) the acid does not cause a problem. It does what it is supposed to do. Add fatty foods, alcohol, cigarettes, and acidic foods into the equation and the possibility that the acid will over-function and if the lower esophageal sphincter ( LES) has weakened you have acid moving back up the esophagus causing acid reflux. The LES is a tight little muscle that is meant to hold back the acid and food in the stomach. It can become weakened by smoking or too frequent heartburn and overeating.
Frequent acid reflux can be dangerous because the esophagus is not designed to handle acid and when the lining is exposed too frequently it becomes inflamed, irritated and often in severe cases begins to deteriorate. This is the condition known as GERD, or "gastro esophageal reflux disease". With GERD the acid can actually back up into the throat and mouth causing a very uncomfortable and dangerous situation. Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the United States. It is an avoidable cancer in most cases and with lifestyle changes such as eating smaller meals, exercise, eating more than 3 hours before bedtime, eating more fiber and less fat a person can stop the causes of acid reflux possibly leading to cancer.
